Sleeve-valve.



L A-CHARTER.

SLEEVE VALVE.

APPUCATION FILED APR- 8. 1912.

Patenteci Aug. 28, 191?.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1- WWW F 1 J. A. CHARTER.

SLEEVE VALVE.

"APPLICATION FILED APR.8. 1912.

13 3, 1 @439 Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

4 SHEETS-:SHEET 2.

. A. CHARTER.

SLEEVE VALVE. APPLICATION FILED APR.' 8. I912.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

4 SHE ETSSHEET 3.

J. A. CHARTER;

' SLEEVE VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. I912.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- all tinirnn JAMES A. CHARTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SLEEVE-VALVE.

1,9213%,1lt14h Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2%, 1%1't,

Application filed April 8, 1912. Serial No. 689,263.

To all whom a may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. CHARTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sleeve-Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a sleeve valve for use in all sorts of engines and devices, but primarily for use in explosive engines used ordinarily at the present time upon automobiles.

The object of the invention is to provide :1 device which aflords ample port openings for the ingress and egress of gas or liquid to the cylinder of the device to which the valve is ap lied, and to provide a balanced valve, there y doing away with unnecessary friction and other resistance, Another important object is to provide such a mechanism which works toall intents and purposes silently, thus doing away with the click of the ordinary type of valve heretofore used.

The invention consists in mechanism capable of carrying out the foregoing objects, which can bevery easily, cheaply and con veniently made, assembled, used and. re paired without being liable to get out of order. More in detail, the invention consists in the use of a cyli'ndricaLshaped valve which is balanced so as to move freely, the same providing ample port openings prop erly controlled by the rotation of this valve. The invention further consists in other details and features which will be more fully described and claimed hereinafter.

Figure 1 is a central, sectional, vertical detail view of a plurality of engine cylinders equipped with the preferred form of the device of this invention. 7 i

Fig. 2 is an end view taken from the righthand end of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4:, 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views showing diflerent forms and arrangements of gearing which may be used to operate the device of this invention when it IS applied to an engine having more than a single cylinder.

The preferred form of the invention here illlustrated is shown applied to an engine of ordinary general construction having four cylinders 11, 12, 13 and 14, rising from the usual form of base or crank case 16, to which they are attached by bolts or screws 18, or other suitable means. Each one of these cylinders is provided with a piston slidably fitted to reciprocate therein in the ordinary manner, each piston being provided with suitable packing devices 22 of ordinary construction. Extending from each piston is the usual connecting rod 24:. The opposite end of each connecting rod is attached in the usual and ordinary manner to one of the wrist pins 26 on the shaft 28. This shaft is, as shown, journaled at its ends in the crank casing 16, and is journaled at its middle in an intermediate bearing 30, also part of the crank case. As in the usual practice with four cylinders, the wrist pins 26 are so located that two of them are 180 from the other two; that is to say, so that when two pistons 20 are at their extreme upward position, the other two pistons are at their extreme lower position, and vicev versa. Each cylinder is preferably fitted with the usual form of water jacket 32 contained between the cylinder wall proper 34 and the outer jacket wall 36. These water jackets are, as is usual in the practice, provided with piping, so that water mayv circulate through them. As this forms no part of the invention, this piping has not been shown. Each cylinder is extended beyond the piston travel so as to form at the upper end of each cylinder, as here illustrated, a chamber or combustion space 38. This space is always made of such a size and capacitythat when gas is admitted toit and compressed within the space, the desired predetermined pressure is obtained in the gas before it is exploded. This is in accordance with the usual practice. i

The wall proper 34 of the cylinder in its portion which forms orincloses this compression space is made up of two parallel walls 40and l2 separated from each other by an annular space in which the cylindrical valve member 44: rotatably fits. 1n the par r l ticular case here illustrated, the portion-d0 is integral with the portion 34: or the wall, of the cylinder, end portion 4% isthe cyline drical side wall of a dap 46 which is removable from the position shown; but it should be understood that, for the purpose of this broad invention, the lower end of this wall 42 can be made integral with the wall 34 of the cylinder. In the construction here shown, the lower end of cylindrical wall 42 engages wall 34 in a ground joint at 48, so that there is no possibility of the escape of gasor other substance contained within the cylinder. To restate a portion of the foregoing description, the upper end of each wall 34 terminates in a wall which is in cross section U-shaped, one side of the U being member 42 and the other side of the U being member 40, and the space between the vertical Walls of the U is occupied by the cylindrical valve member 44 heretofore referred to. The top of each cap member46 contains an ordinary spark plug 50.

At right angles to cylindrical valve member 44' is a flange 52 provided on its circumference with gear teeth 54 which mesh with another gear provided for the purpose of 25* imparting rotary motion to cylindrical valve member 44. Each cylindrical valve memher or sleeve 44 is provided with an opening or port 56 so located and of such size and shape that as the valve or sleeve 44 is rotated the port 56 travels over intake opening 58 which connects with intake pipe 60 supplied in the usual manner from a suitable source of gas. The' port 56 is-also so located that in another portion of its rotation it passes over and opens exhaust passageway 62 leading to exhaust pipe 64, which is open to the atmosphere. Under the latest automobile engine practice, this slot opening 56 can be made of such a length that just before it leaves exhaust passage 62, thereby closing it, it slightly enters intake port 58. This port 56 is, as shown, located about midway the vertical length of the-sleeve 44 and is of such a size that it does not communicate with any other openings leading from the cylinder except openings 58 and 62 heretofore described, which enter the cylinder at positions to be enga ed by the port 56 in the/manner just descr bed.

It-will be seen that whenever there is pressure Within the engine cylinder and port 56 just described isnotin communication with either port 58 or port 62, the'compressed gas within the'top-of the cylinder will start to enter ports 58 and 62 and bear against-that portion of the solid sleeve wall 42 which is opposite them, thereby exertinga pressure tending to shove the valve wall ofi its center and against the outer Wall heretofore described. In order to counterbalance this force tending to' bind the valve asdescribed,

two balance ports 66 are provided in the inner wall 4230f substantially the same area as the'phirtsfi and 62, and located diametrically opposite them in such a way as to give an equal amount of exposed area against the revoluble sleeve valve 44 in all of its positions, thereby balancing the pressure which can be exerted upon that sleeve valve by the gas within the cylinder. These ports 66, provided for this purpose, are located above and below the path of travel of port 56, so that it never communicates with them, and th'us'destruction of the balance created by their presence is prevented. The advantage of this system of balancing ports lies in the fact that the port 56 acts only over the intake and exhaust ports and then passes in contactwith the uninterrupted surface of the cylinder to be lubricated and cooled, from which it follows that it works better than it would if it registered with a balancing port in-its travel. It is, of course, understood that when either port 58 or port 62 is open, the pressure within the cylinder is practically nothing, so that the fact that ports 66 are open at this time has no deleterious effect upon the balance of the valve 4-4, as stated.

In order to make as simple and satisfactory a construction as possible, eliminating leaky joints. the top plate of member 46 is provided with an integral extension 70, within which the spark plug fits, as shown. Over the tops of the substantially level cylinders is a water-jacketed cylinder plate or head 7 2 perforated as shown to receive these members 70 with contained spark plugs 50. This plate is secured in position by suitable bolts or screws 74, and serves to hold all of the parts heretofore described, particularly the members 46, in the assembled position shown and described. It will be noticed that by this construction it'is only necessary to remove the bolts 74 and then plate 7 2 to be able to remove either the valve member 44 or the cap 46 at will without removing the other. The close proximity of this water jacket to the revolvinggear 52 on valve 44 helps to carry ofi the heat. It also serves to hold the valve in position so that-as it rotates it cannot accidentally move upward and out of proper position.

"Where only one cylinder is used, any sort of gearing may be used to drive the valve 44. One form of such gearing comprises a gear 76 on shaft 28 meshing with a spiral gear 78 on a suitably journaled vertical shaft 80 which carries at its upper end a gear '82 meshing with a gear 84, which, in the form shown in Fig. 4, meshes directly with the teeth 54 on gear 52. Where only onecvlinder is used, the gear 82 can just as well'be made to mesh directly with Wheel 52, and gear 84 be omitted.

In theform illustrated in Fig. 4, the gear 82 meshes with gear 84, as stated, which gear In turn meshes with two opposite gears 52011 the valves of the two central cylinders ing a cylindrical wall inside of and parallel These central valve gears in turn mesh with other intermediate gears 86, which communicate their rotation to gears 52 on the sleeve valves of the two outside cylinders.

In the form illustrated in Fig. 5, the gears 52 on the pair of cylinders at each end mesh with each other, while the gears on the valves on the two middle cylinders mesh with a driving pinion 88 which receives its motion by any suitable means from gear 76.

In the form shown in Fig. 6, the teeth 54 of each gear 52 mesh with spiral gears 90 on a common shaft 92 which is suitably driven from the engine shaft 28.

Thesethree different methods of driving the cylinder valves are shown 'to illustrate the fact that many different methods ofdoing this may be adopted without departing from the principle of this invention.

In the preferred form of the invention here illustrated, the gearing for driving the sleeve valves is so proportioned that each valve travels at one half the crank-shaft speed.

Attention is called to the fact that the valve 4% is protected from the fire within the cylinder by the wall 42, and is cooled,

by the water in the water jacket in contact with wall 40 heretofore referred to. This combination is very important in protecting the lubrication of the valve member 44: and insuring its best operation.

It will be noticed that the'construction of the end of the cylinder and the various ports is such that no gas pockets of sub stantial depth are formed in the wall s, thereby insuring better scavengering of the combustion space and amore uniform explosive mixture.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, an engine cylinder open at an end and provided with a shoulder at a distance from said end, a cap having a eylindricalwall parallel to the wall of the cylinder, and an end contacting said shoulder, the height of thecap being substantially the distance of theshoulder from the end of the cylinder, and there being an annular space between the wall of the cap and the wall of the cylinder, an annular valve member. adapted to be moved within said annular space, a plate contacting the end of the cap and the end of the valve member, and means for detachably securing the plate to the end of the cylinder whereby said plate normally holds both the cap. and the valve member in position, and

yet when the plate is removed, either the cap or the valve member maybe removed.

2. In a device of the class described, an engine cylinder open at an end and provided with a shoulder inside the cylinder and at a distance from said end, a cap havder from the end of the cylinder, and there.

being an annular space between the wall of the cap and the wall of the cylinder, an annular valve member adapted to be moved within said annular space, a plate contacting the end of the cap andthe end of the valve member, and means for detachably securing the plate to the end of the cylinder whereby said plate normally holds both the cap and the valve member in position, and yet when the plate is removed, either the cap or the valve member may be removed.

3. In a device of the class described, an engine cylinder open at an end and provided with a shoulder at a distance from said end, a second cylinder closed at one end, except for a spark plug opening, and open at the other,- inserted within the first cylinder with its open-end seated on said shoulder, the inner cylinder being sufliciently smaller than the outer cylinder to leave an annular valve space between the two, and means closing said valve'space securing and centrally positioning said inner cylinder at its top end.

inder, the inner cylinder being sufliciently smaller than the outer cylinder to leave an annular valve space between the two, and

means closing said valve space securing and centering said inner cylinder in relation to the outercylinder.

5. Ina device of the class described, the combination of an outer cylinder having port-s through its side, asecond single wall cylinder mounted inside .of the first cylinder having ports registering with said first ports and spaced apart therefrom to form a cylindrical valve chamber, means diametrically centering the inner cylinder from the outer cylinder at both ends of the inner cylinder and sealing the space between the cylinders.

6. In a device of the class described, an engine cylinder open at! an end and provided with a shouldered recess below the valve cavity thereof at a distance from said end, a second cylinder with parallel outer walls closed at an end except for spark plug opening and open at the other end,

inserted within the first cylinder with its mes- 1.

open endseated en' said shouldered recess, the inner cylinder being sufiieiently smaller than the outer cylinder toleeve an annular valve space between the two cylinders, and means closing said valve space securing and centrally positioning the inner cylinder Withreference to the outer cylinder.

scribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. CHARTER.

Witnesses: DWIGHT B. CHEEVER, JULIA M. BRISTOL. 

